Portable acetylene generator.



P. F. WILLIS.

PORTABLE ACETYLEN APPLICATION FILED GENERATOR.

FEB. 20, 1915- Patented Sept. 12,1916.

PRIOR F. WILLIS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSO'U'IRI'.

PORTABLE ACETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 19.16.

Application filed February 20,- 1915. Serial N o.' 9,583.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that I, PRIOR F. WILLIS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new. and useful Improvement in Portable Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specific a tion.

This invention relates to generators for producing acetylene gas fromcalcium carbid, .and is particularly adapted for use with oxyacetyleneflame apparatus, such as is used for cutting and welding metals.

The object of the invention is a portable generator having an automaticcarbid feeding mechanism which is operated and con trolled by the gaspressure, which is easily started and stopped by hand, which is quicklyresponsive to small changes in pressure,-and which can be adjusted fordifl'erent pressures.

' rangement and construction of the adjustable pressure regulator.

The invention is particularly defined in; the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters designate the sameparts in the several views, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectionthrough a generator embodying the invention, showing the parts inworking position; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lower end of thecarbid receptacle, showing the valve operating rod in an intermediateposition; Fig. 3 is a top view of the pres sure regulator with the capremoved; and Fig. 4 is a top view of the conical shield in the bottom ofthe carbid receptacle.

The apparatus consists of a portable tank 11, having a water inlet andoverflow pipe 12 in its side wall at a suitable distance from thebottom, a sludge vent or blow-off valve 13 near the bottom, and a gaspipe outlet connection 14 near the top. The water inlet pipe 12 isprovided with a suitable overflow valve and a funnel or other device forenabling the tank to be filled with water up to the water level 15. Thecarbid is charged into a receptacle 16, which is suspended within thetank 11 at its top by means of an outturned flange around its upper rimwhich rests onthe outwardly flanged rim of the tank. A head 17, isbolted to the flanged rims of the tank and carbid receptacle and closesthe top of the receptacle and tank. The head has a carbid filling holewhich is closed by a screw plug 18 during the operation of thegenerator. The bottom wall of the carbid receptacle 16 is hemispherical,and has a central hole provided with a depending flangelf). A conicalvalve 20 is seated in the hole in the bottom of the carbid receptacle.The-coniv may pass by the valve both in open and in closed position intothe carbid receptacle '16. The lower end of the valve rod carries adownwardly flaring cone 23.

A loose ring 24'around the flange 19 is freely suspended from the bottomof the carbid receptacle by means of short chains.

When the valve operating rod is in its lowest position there is aconsiderable space between the cone 23 and the lower edge of the ring24. When the valve operating rod is raised halfway to the top of itsmovement the cone 23 strikes the lower edge of the loose ring 24, andfurther upward movement of the rod and cone carries the ring up withthem. A shield 25' covers the valve 20 and supports the greater part ofthe carbid above the' bottom of the receptacle, thus prevente ing thecarbid from interfering with the action of the valve. The valveoperating rod 21 projects through the head 17. A pipe 26 surrounds thevalve operating rod from the shield 25 to the cap 17, and keeps.

it from contact with the carbid in the receptacle. A tube 27 in linewith the pipe 26 projects above the cap 17 and surrounds the valveoperating rod nearly to its top end. A regulator cylinder 28 is slidablyarranged on the tube 27. The sliding joint between the cylinder and tubeis lapped to make it pressure. An e'lbow 30 is provided for filling theregulator with oil until it overflows the filling opening. The upper endof the elbow is closed by a plug 31. The upper end of the valve rod 21goes through a hole in a flexible supporting plate 32, and a nut on theend of the valve operating rod sustains it from the plate. The ends ofthe plate are inserted in notches in the top of the regulator cylinder,and are secured therein by the cap 33. A support 34 which is atregulator to its highest position. v lator will remain in its highestposition tached to the head 17 of the tank-has a projecting finger 35over which a link 36 which is attached to the regulator cap 33 can behooked to hold up the valve rod 21. In the raised position of the valverod the cone 23 seats against the under side of the flange 19 andprecludes the 'accidental feeding of carbid from the chamber at thelower end of the carbid receptacle into the tank.

To start the operation of the carbid feeding device, the valve rod isdropped by hand to its lowest position, whereupon any carbid in thespace within the ring 19 at the lower end of the carbid receptacle willdrop into the water in the bottom of the tank and acetylene gas will beevolved. The gas thereby produced will fill the tank and carbidreceptacle, and will flow through the pipe 26 into the space within theregulator. If the gas pressure is sufiicient to raise the regulator toits highest position the cone 23 on the lower end of the valve rod willengage the ring 24 and under side of the flange 19 and close the bottomopening in the carbid receptacle. At the same time, the valve 20 will beraised clear of its seat and carbid will slide down the sides of thecontainer 16 and fill the space within the ring 24 and flange 19. If thepressure of the gas is insuflicient to raise the regulator, the lattermust be raised by hand, and then dropped to feed a second charge ofcarbid into the tank. Hand feeding must be continued until sufficientgas is evolved to raise the The reguuntil the consumption of the gas hasreduced its pressure sufficiently to let the regulator fall, whichallows the, charge of carbid in the ring 24 and within the flange 19 tofall into the tank, thereby producing more gas and again raising theregulator and valve rod ' The dimensions and arrangement of the flange19, valve 20, collar 22, cone 23 and ring 24 are such that the conestrikes the lower edge of the ring and cuts off the further feeding ofcarbid before or simultaneously with the beginning of the raising of thevalve by the collar, as shown in Fig. 2. Further upward movement of thevalve rod lifts the ring and valve together until the cone seats againstthe under edge of the flange. The dimensions of the flange 19 and ring24 may be varied to suit the charge of carbid to the size of theapparatus and to the closeness of regulation desired. Cast iron rin s orscale weights may be piled on top of tile regulator to set the apparatusfor the desired maximum gas pressure to be maintained;

My invention is not restricted to the precise forms and dimensions ofthe parts shown in the drawings.

I claim the followingas my invention:

1. A generator comprising a pressure tank, a carbid receptacle arrangedin the upper part of the tank and having a carbid discharge openin inits bottom surrounded by a depending ange, and means for regulating thefeeding of carbid through said discharge opening comprising a valveseated over said opening, a valve rod extending through said opening andslidably engaging said valve, said valve rod having an enlargement atits lower end adapted to engage said flange and close said opening inraised p0 sition of said rod, a loose ring surrounding said flange andfreely suspended below it and above said enlargement, means on saidvalve rod adapted to engage and lift said valve off its seat in raisedposition of said rod, said enlargement engaging said ring to close thebottom of said discharge opening prior to the lifting of said valve bysaid rod, and means operated by excessive gas pressure to raise said rodand hold it in raised position until the gas pressure falls belownormal.

2. A generator comprising a pressure tank, a carbid, receptacle, andmeans for T1 controlling the feeding of fuel from said receptacle intosaid tank, said controlling means comprising a valve rod extending outof said tank, a tube projecting from the top of said tank, said tubeinclosing said valve rod and communicating with said tank, and a fluidpressure regulator slidably mounted on said tube and connected to said.valve rod, said regulator consisting of a sleeve encircling the end ofsaid tube and slidable thereon, a packing between said sleeve and saidtube, and a removable closure for the end of said sleeve inclosing theopen end of said tube.

3. A generator comprising a pressure tank, said tube inclosing saidvalve rod and communicating with said tank, and a fluid pressureregulator slidably mounted on said.

open end of said tube, and a thin metal plate secured to said regulatorbeneath said cap and supporting the outer end of said valve rod.

4. A generator, comprising a carbid receptacle having a carbid dischargeopening in its bottom surrounded by a depending flange, a valve rodextending through said opening and having its upper end projecting outof said generator, said valve rod having an enlargement at its, lowerend adapted to engage said flange and close said opening in raisedposition of said rod, a loose ring surrounding said flange and freelysuspended below it and above said enlargement, said enlargement engagingsaid ring to close the bottom of said discharge opening prior toengaging vsaid flange, means operated by excessive gas pressure to raisesaid rod and hold it inraised position until the asipressureifalls belownormal, and means %or engaging said valve rod and holding it in raisedposition against said opening.

Signed at StQLouis, Mo., this 17th day of February, 1915.

PRIOR F. WILLIS.

In the presence of AMASA M. HOLCOMBE, EDGAR T. FABMEB.

